A Fate Worse Than Drowning

For fans of A Dark and Drowning Tide and The Lighthouse Witches comes a queer speculative novel about a lighthouse keeper who made a devil's bargain to save her sister, but when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, she is left with an impossible choice... One deal with the devil makes a fool. Two? A villain... A year ago, Elle made a deal with the devil to save her sister. Now, they live on a desolate spit of land beyond Halifax harbor. Elle, as lighthouse keeper, steers unsuspecting sailors to their destruction; those are the terms of her bargain. Liney need never know the cost. Her safety is worth every drop of blood. But a sinner's pact is not so simple. When the devil returns, demanding more - more shipwrecks, no survivors - Elle knows what she must do to keep Liney safe... Another ship. Another crew killed in the devil's name. Then a woman washes ashore. Is she a soul to be sacrificed, or part of a darker design? As Liney and the stranger grow closer, Elle faces an impossible choice: kill, and break Liney's heart, or forfeit her own soul. Danger arises from all sides: the merciless sea, ruthless men on the mainland, and the infernal bargain itself... Souls and sisterhood, fate and fire - what must be sacrificed for the devil to get his due?

Sarah Hawthorn